The Celadon Job
by HCHawke
Summary: What happens when an ex-cop, a hacker with a grudge, and a crew of gold-hearted rogues go toe to toe with one of the largest crime families in the Kanto region? A little event known as the Celadon Job. Join Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak as they plan one of the largest heists of all time against the powerful Team Rocket crime family! AdvanceShipping, IkariShipping, EgoShipping. AU.
1. Chapter 1

So, I decided to switch it up a bit. I've had this idea for a while, as a conglomeration of shows like Leverage, and movies like Ocean's 11/12/13, The Italian Job, and a few others. I finally decided to put it to words. This will be a crime story about an ex-cop and a crew of loveable rogues, trying to do the right thing and make some money in the process. Disclaimer: I don't own the Pokémon universe. Unfortunately. Reviews and Feedback heavily encouraged.

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><p>Viridian City, Kanto<p>

Ash Ketchum sat on the barstool, glaring up at the television that hung from the wall of the Viridian Bar and Grill, half eaten burger in his hands. News coverage of the release of Silver Sakaki, a witness in one of the largest trials in the Kanto Region in recent history. Silver had testified against a major player in Team Rocket in front of a grand jury, as part of a plea bargain.

While normally Ash would have been happy seeing one of the Rocket bosses behind bar, even if a lesser grunt walked, what he saw on the television made him feel sick.

The red-haired lieutenant had been involved in a small drive-by shooting that killed two in Viridian City two years ago, and Ash Ketchum, a former member of the International Police, or Interpol, had been the officer to bring him to justice, dead to rights.

Proof enough to convict Silver Sakaki for the murder of Professor Samuel Oak and Delia Ketchum. With enough evidence to put the boy away for twenty-five to life, Ash Ketchum thought for sure the boy would see justice for the murder of his mother and their friend.

Instead, he managed to get a plea bargain, testifying against Archer of Team Rocket in exchange for a lighter sentence. And now, a year after he went into the correctional facility, he was back out onto the streets, with media coverage on every local news station from here to Olivine Town. Ash scowled as he continued to glare, pushing his plate away. It was coming up on the two year anniversary of the shooting, and Ash sure as heck didn't want to spend it looking at Silver Sakaki's face.

Pulling out his wallet out of his dark jeans, he laid down enough money to cover his food and still leave a generous tip, and he left the tavern, heading out into the rain-soaked streets of Viridian City, fumbling for the keys to his car. '_I've put criminals away before. I've put dozens away for them. But the one that matters, the one I wanted put away more than anything, and they give him a free pass.'_

Ash muttered under his breath as he settled into the leather seat of his car, shoving the key into the ignition and driving off, to anywhere but there.

As he got on the road, he soon found himself heading towards Pallet Town, where he grew up. As he drove the streets of his childhood, passing his home, he spotted a familiar sight; The Oak Research Laboratory. Taking a deep breath, he drove up and threw his car into park. He wasn't sure what possessed him to stop, but he felt it was time to pay a visit to an old friend.

* * *

><p>Oak Research Laboratory, Pallet Town, Kanto<p>

As the low whine of his heavily customized and expensive computer filled the home office, signalling it was booting up, Gary Oak took a sip of his coffee, just trying to get his eyes to open all the way.

Gary Oak was not a morning person. He was used to keeping extremely odd hours for his job, so getting up before noon was nearly unheard of for the millionaire. Being a network security specialist, he had to be up at odd hours of the night in order to run his network attacks. To put it simply, he was a white hat hacker; he got paid to attack people's network and database security.

He smirked as he let out a large stretch, enjoying the resounding sound of cracks and pops of his joints. His coffee was beginning to kick in, finally. Smiling as his eyes opened to normal proportions instead of Brock's normal, and quickly logged into his seven separate email accounts he used for business, across his six monitor setup.

"Bill, bill, script job, thank you, bill, script job... " He sighed as he checked his inbox. "I swear, if these idiots hired decent network specialists, I'd be out of a job. What ever happened to a challenge?" he asked himself rhetorically.

Grabbing the remote control, he threw on his big screen plasma TV to the wonderful sight of SIlver Sakaki's release. Scowling, he was about to switch the channel when he heard a knock on the door.

He sighed with a frown. "Who could that possibly be at this hour?" he asked as he pulled up his security camera feed for his front door onto one of his monitors. Granted, 'this hour' was noon on a saturday, but he was Gary. 'Well, well. What're you doing here, Ashy-boy?" he asked as he got up with a curious smile, shuffling towards the door.

* * *

><p>Ash pulled his leather pilot jacket closer around his neck, hood up to keep him somewhat dry in the Kanto rain. He was about to pound on his friend's door again when it opened up, revealing a tired looking, smirking Gary Oak standing there in sweatpants and a dark blue bathrobe.<p>

"You're a bit early, Ashy-Boy. To what do I owe the honor?" he asked as he ushered his oldest friend into his not so humble abode. Ash wiped his feet and walked in as Gary closed the door. The brunette headed back towards his office, not even caring if Ash was following him at this point.

Of course, Ketchum had followed him, already used to interactions with the spiky-haired brunette. He'd visited several times since the funerals, though mostly on business. Six months after the shooting, Ash finally managed to get his hands on the triggerman, Silver Sakaki, partially with the help of Gary's hacking skills. Five months of courts and litigation after that, and Silver was sentenced to one year of prison. Ash quit his job at Interpol shortly after that, and Gary had turned back to corporate security.

"So seriously, what brings you home to Pallet?" Gary asked as he sat down in his office chair, turning to face his raven-haired friend.

Ash sighed, glaring at the TV. "Is he on every single channel?" he asked, annoyed.

Gary rolled his eyes. "I was about to change it when _someone_ decided to drop in…" he replied sardonically.

Ash's expression turned dark. He picked up the remote and changed the channel to another station.

"...And this comes hot on the tail of Giovanni Sakaki's announcement of the grand opening of the Celadon Game Corner Casino later this month. Silver is expected to be reunited with his father later this week, and be present for the opening."

As the news reporter continued on, Ash felt a growing urge to hurl the remote in his hand into Gary's expensive TV set. As he drew back to hurl the plastic, button-riddled brick, Gary quickly snatched it out of his hand.

"Oi! I don't come over to your house and break things!" he shouted crossly.

Ash just sighed, frustrated. "I just… One year! One blasted year, and that little punk is out, and daddy has a brand new casino, built with money from the hundreds he and the Rocket family played, robbed, or drove out of town," he said, shaking his head angrily.

Gary sighed, resting a hand on Ash's shoulder. "Look, dude, I know. I was right there with you for six months, hunting for that rat. I hate seeing him go just as much as you do, believe me, Ash. But you've got to let this go," he told his longtime friend. "How much has it cost you, now?"

Ash closed his eyes as Gary shut the TV off. "A lot," he admitted.

Gary shook his head ruefully. "Ash, it's been almost two years. I know you lost your mother, but you've got to let this go. We've done everything humanly possible against Team Rocket, and they spit it right back at us. There's nothing more we can do," he replied as he settled back into his chair.

Ash leaned his head back, still standing in front of the TV. He knew Gary was right. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew he was right. Ash had spent most of the last five years of his twenty-eight year old life hunting Team Rocket. He'd put multiple grunts behind bars, even a few admins. He'd served in the Kanto Detectives for seven years, and Interpol for two after that. He'd saved lives, put people away for crimes that sometimes kept him up at night, he'd even… fractured the occasional law in some investigations just to make sure the bad guys were off the streets.

'_If you have to jaywalk in order to catch a criminal about to shoot someone, you would,'_ his mentor used to tell him. Breaking into a suspect's house if you know they're about to destroy evidence, taking their phone records to nail them for a crime, even using Gary's… questionable contacts to locate information necessary for an arrest. As long as the bad guys were put behind bars, what did it matter how?

The pair descended into silence, only the sound of Gary's keyboard filling the office. Ash stared blankly at the television set, aimlessly listening to the constant pounding of Gary's keyboard. He'd run through the last two years over and over in his head. And now, after all his work, all his effort, all the rules he bent and broke to get Silver behind bars, and Team Rocket were unveiling a bloody casino later that month.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"

Turning, Ash saw Gary hunched over his keyboard, the sound of his keystrokes seeming more angry. "What's up, Gary?" he inquired.

"Someone's trying to breach my firewall," he responded, his gaze glued to his monitor.

"Any idea who's behind it?" Ash asked as he got up, heading behind his brunette friend.

"Trying to run a trace…" he replied, voice sounding strained. "Damn it. Whoever this idiot is, he's good."

Ash gripped the back of his friend's chair, watching as the countless, meaningless lines of code scrolled across the six monitors.

"On my mark, flip that breaker," the brunette told him, pointing to a small lever by his computer tower.

Ash nodded and grabbed it, holding his breath as he waiting for his friend to give the signal. After a few seconds of rapidly typing, he nodded.

"Now!" he signalled.

After pulling the breaker, the lines and lines of code stopped. All outside connectivity stopped short as Gary began combatting whatever virus was currently attacking his system. Six minutes later, he finally sat back in his chair, exhaling.

"Alright. We're clear," he told Ash as the adrenaline began to drain from his system. Sitting back up, he pulled up a window and pulled out his phone.

"What're you doing now?" Ash asked.

"Tracking the signal. It's coming from…" Gary trailed off, worrying Ash.

"Where'd it come from, Gary?" he asked.

Sighing, Gary showed his friend his phone. It read 'Celadon City, Private Property, Sakaki'. Ash's eyes widened.

"Gary, is that what I think it is?" he asked, and his friend nodded, mouth slightly ajar of shock.

"Yup."

Ash sighed, scratching the stubble on his cheek. "Should we call the police about it?" he asked. He knew that Gary occasionally ran with people of questionable ethics and legal standing, despite helping Ash with several investigations, so the police weren't Gary's favorite people.

Scratching the back of his neck, Gary shook his head with a frown. "I have no proof of it that I can use. You have any idea what they'd say if I told them 'Yeah, these people tried to hack me. How do I know it's them? I hacked them back, of course!' Yeah, that'll get me far…" he replied with a sigh.

"Do you know what they were after?" Ash asked.

"If I had to guess? Probably my business information, likely on Sliph Co. Look Ash, as much as I'd love a reason to put these guys into the ground, there's no way we can legally go after them. It's just the way the stupid justice system works," Gary told him as he began bringing his network back online. He didn't notice the frown on Ash's face, the confusion and realization that had dawned on him.

"Say that again," he replied, eyes taking on an intense look.

"What, how the justice system is a joke?" Gary asked, shooting his friend an odd look.

"No, before that," he stated.

"We can't legally go after them?" Oak asked, even more confused now.

Ash just nodded, looking back at the monitors. "That's it. You're a genius! Why didn't I think of it sooner?" he asked himself rhetorically.

Gary spun in his chair to see Ash walk around the room, pacing. "Ashy-Boy? What, exactly, did I say?" he asked, wondering if Ketchum had finally lost it.

Ash tapped his chin in thought as he paced. "We can't hit them legally. It's impossible. Giovanni has too many officials, too many judges, officer Jennies in his pocket. The only reason Silver got out was because he ratted out Archer, which in turn gave more power of the Rocket family to Giovanni. The only way to hit him is outside the law," he explained quickly, the pacing beginning to make Gary dizzy.

"And that helps us… how, exactly?" he asked. '_He's finally cracked. But if he's thinking what I think he's thinking...'_

"The only way to bring Giovanni down is to play by his rules," Ash concluded, turning to his friend with a glint in his eye. One that Gary had only seen when Ash was about to fracture a law to get a suspect.

"Ash… Tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking…" he pleaded.

"Look, my old mentor always used to say, 'If you have to jaywalk in order to catch a criminal about to shoot someone, you would.' I keep thinking of how to bust them like a cop," he told him, walking up to his friend with a smile that was slightly terrifying to Gary. "I've had it staring me in the face all this time, I just didn't see it. The only way to bring down a criminal like Giovanni is to play by his rules," he explained.

"And what, pray tell, does that entail?" Gary asked.

Ash exhaled, a grin settling onto his face. "Alright, we both know that if that casino opens, the Rocket family will have a fortune rolling in, right?" he asked. Gary nodded, so he continued. "So, we'd need to shut the casino down before it begins. And if we can't get at him legally, the only way to do that is to ruin him by other means."

"Ash, what you're suggesting would get us arrested for a very, _very_ long time, my friend. I'm too pretty for prison," Gary complained, but Ash just shook his head.

"You forget, Gary, I used to be a cop. I know how they'd think, how to avoid them, and besides, you really think the police would overly mind if the newest, untouchable Rocket front was hit?" he asked.

Gary had to hand it to him, his logic was sound. Scary coming from someone who spent most of his life playing by the book, by the law, and putting away people who would suggest this. But, then again, Ash wasn't a cop anymore. He was just an ex-Interpol officer with a grudge and a plan. '_At least, I _hope _he has a plan… Wait, am I actually considering this?!'_

"Come on, Gary. We both know that the Sakaki's are rotten to the core. We'd be doing Kanto a favor removing them from power," Ash prodded. "You know computer systems better than anyone I know. If anyone could get us into their systems, it'd be you."

Gary waved his hand, screwing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth. "Look, enough with the 'us' already. What makes you think I want to throw out all my lucrative contracts, reputation, and go toe to toe with the biggest crime boss in Kanto _AND _ Johto?" he asked, looking back to his friend.

Ash simply looked his friend in the eye. "Because no one else will. Because Silver killed your grandfather and by extension my mother because Team Rocket wanted the research your grandfather found. Because, like you said, the justice system is a joke. And, because it's the right thing to do," Ash replied with such conviction, even Gary was beginning to contemplate his crusade.

It was true, Team Rocket had had Professor Oak gunned down so they could break into his laboratories during the funeral. They had taken just about everything related to his research, so Gary had heavily upgraded the lab's security systems, and assisted Ash in his investigation into the shootings. But, even now, they were still attacking the lab, albeit remotely now.

Gary tapped the ends of his fingers together, looking at his luxurious navy blue carpet, deep in thought. Finally, he sighed and looked back to Ash, a smile creeping onto his face. "I never thought I'd see the day when you wanted to play the other side." Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, he nodded. "Alright, let me see who I can get. If you want to knock over a casino, you'll need a crew."

Ash smiled. "I assume an upstanding citizen like you can put one together?" he asked. "We'll need a tech specialist, a hitter, a grifter, and a mechanic for what I have in mind," he continued, counting off on his fingers, and Gary nodded up until the mechanic.

"Uh. Alright, I can do that, but you might not care too much for some of the people I get. I mean, you've chased a lot of the underworld, and some of them might not take too kindly to you. You think you can play nicely?" he asked.

Ash nodded. "If you can get them to go with this, I'll work with whoever. I can fund part of this with what's left of my savings account, and we can pay whatever mercenaries you get with proceeds from the job," he replied, crossing his arms as Gary spun around back to his computer, pulling up faces onto each monitor. One, two, three, four, five…

"Wait, _Misty_?! That's your mechanic?" Ash questioned, and Gary just rolled his eyes.

"We both know she's the best. If you want this done right, we do it right," Gary snapped.

Ash sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. Alright, make the calls."

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><p>Sunnyshore City, Sinnoh<p>

"Oof!" the man grunted as he was slammed against the wall, hard. Staring back at him were a pair of onyx eyes, attached to a head of purple hair, falling to the man's shoulders. The assailant was wearing a black denim jacket, dark purple knit ski cap, dark grey cargo pants, heavy boots, and a look that told him that this man would kill him without a second thought.

"I- I already told you everything I know!" he told the purple-haired man, feeling close to wetting himself.

He watched as the assailant pulled his arm back, and he closed his eyes and flinched, waiting for the blow to land. To his surprise, it didn't.

"Shinji. Speak."

Opening his eyes, he saw the thug had pulled out a cellphone, and was talking on it.

"No, I can talk. Six figures? Kanto. Alright, I'm in. I'll be there," he said intermittently, before he hung up, pocketing his phone. Glancing back at the man he was currently holding against a wall, the purple-haired man smirked. Right before slamming his head into his target's.

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><p>Hearthome City, Sinnoh<p>

"Come on, Dawn, one date, that's all I ask!"

The blunette woman sighed, putting her hands into the pockets of her white trenchcoat. She genuinely liked Kenny. He was a good guy, but she knew things wouldn't work out between them. After all, he was an accountant with a fairly large firm here in Hearthome. And her? Dawn prided herself on her acting abilities, and had a steady cover job as an actress.

In her off time, however, she was a thief. A grifter. Some would say a con woman, but she prefered the term con artist. Con men and women left their targets angry. Con artists left them with a smile, not realizing they had been had. And while she could easily, _easily_ take Kenny's attraction for her to the bank and back, she had a strict code of honor. She only hit marks who could stand to lose the money, and only ones who used their money and power to harm others.

"Look, Kenny, you're a nice guy and all, but it just wouldn't work. Trust me," she told him, trying to let him down easy.

"Dawn, we've known each other since we were kids. It's not like I'm asking you to marry me, just a simple dinner," he told her, looking at her with pleading eyes.

As she opened her mouth to refuse again, she felt her phone ring in her pocket. Sighing, she pulled it out, raising a finger to the auburn-haired man.

"Dawn Berlitz, how may I help you?" she answered with a sweet voice, before frowning. "Gary? Uh, yeah, I can talk. A job offer? Where, exactly? Kanto?"

Kenny frowned as he listened to Dawn talk with this 'Gary'. Kanto was a separate region entirely.

"What's the part, exactly?" she asked, placing her other hand on her hip. Suddenly her eyes widened. "That's... " She sighed. "Alright. I'll be on a plane tonight. Yup, see you then," she finished, hanging up her phone and giving Kenny an apologetic smile. "Sorry, that was a friend of mine. He's got a part for me to play in one of his upcoming co-..." She coughed as she caught her slip. "Upcoming county/western films," she finished, blushing slightly.

Kenny sighed and nodded. "I understand. Show business and all. So, you're going to Kanto?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm really sorry it's such short notice, but it's a bit of a time sensitive part," she explained.

He waved away her concerns. "No, I understand completely. Go, break a leg, or whatever you do in show business. I actually might be out in Kanto in a few weeks, maybe we can meet up then," he suggested.

Dawn smiled. "If I'm not too busy, sure," she told the boy as she stepped off the curb, hailing a cab. She had to go home and pack for her latest role.

* * *

><p>Slateport City, Hoenn<p>

"It'll be fine, May. I'm telling you, it'll hold your weight completely," the twenty-three year old computer techie told her. Wearing a forest green dress shirt, khaki pants, a pair of glasses, head of green-blue hair and a smirk, the boy held out a repelling rig to his older sister. "I designed it myself, five point harness, three point weight support, carbon fiber line, auto-breaking resistance, the whole nine yards."

May sighed, taking the rig and looking it over. She brushed her long brown hair behind her ears as she studied her brother's creation. It looked perfect, but she wasn't sure about any untested tech, which Max was known for. Sighing again, she nodded and began slipping the harness on over her red windbreaker jacket and tight blue jeans. "Alright, but if this drops me, I'm going to destroy your computer setup at home," the brunette warned.

Max just smirked at his sister. "You worry too much, May."

The siblings had always had a love-hate relationship with each other growing up. When the two began their career as professional thieves, it intensified, but the two always got the job done. May had become one of the best cat burglars in Hoenn and Max had a reputation for designing and using some of the best tech his genius-level mind could invent. Together, the two had hit several lucrative targets without getting so much as implicated, with May doing the fieldwork and Max acting as support to his sister. Despite their bickering and arguing, they made a great team.

As the brunette attacked the line to the ceiling of the warehouse they were currently in, Max returned to his laptop, set up on the platform they were on. Giving his sister a grin and a thumbs up, he went to work typing, leaving May to hook onto the line with her harness and test it out.

Now, she wasn't stupid. She knew her brother's inventions normally worked brilliantly. But, on rare occasion, he forgot something. That's why she was currently twenty feet in the air over a giant safety stunt bag. '_Alright May, now or never,'_ she thought to herself as she jumped off the platform.

As she fell through the air towards the bag, the harness began to work, slowing her descent to a crawl. As her feet touched neared the bag, she hit the release on the harness, and it dropped her lightly onto the overstuffed back with a grin.

"And the verdict is?" Max asked from above, poking his head over the side of the raised platform.

She gave him a thumbs up. "Alright, you win, I'll find a way to use it in our next heist," she replied, working her way to the edge of the pillow to climb her way back up to Max's setup, grabbing a water bottle on the way up.

When she finally did climb up, however, she heard her brother's ringtone go off. Frowning, he picked it up. "Max Maple, custom technology and equipment, how may I help you?" he asked. "Gary? Gary Oak? Wow, you're a blast from the past. What's up?"

May looked up from the floor where she sat with her water bottle. Last time she heard that name was four years ago. Gary was a hacker who played both sides, but he had a reputation for getting it done and getting his crew paid. Granted, he was a mercenary when it came down to it, but any crew he was with had nothing to fear.

"Job offer, eh? Alright, but you know, we're a box set. Kanto? Alright, I think we can do that," he told him slowly, glancing at May. She nodded. She had no major gigs planned in Hoenn, and a vacation could be good. "Yeah, we're in. We'll see you soon," Max replied as he hung up his phone and pocketed it, beginning to take apart his extensive laptop setup for transit.

"So, what's Gary got for us? May asked as she got up and stretched.

"Wouldn't say," Max replied, pulling bags out and shoving gear in. "Only that he had a big job out in Kanto for us. Six figures."

May's eyes shot open. "Six?" she asked, not quite believing the hundred thousand minimum payout.

He glanced up. "Come on, it's Gary. He's always got something up his sleeve. Don't let the whole white hat act fool you."

May grinned at the thought of such high level work. A chance to test herself. And the payout certainly wasn't bad either.

* * *

><p>Cerulean City, Kanto<p>

"I still don't see why you couldn't just phone her," Ash whined as Gary drove his sports car through the streets of Cerulean City, looking for the Gyarados Garage.

"Because, Ashy-Boy, if I called her, and she came all the way to Celadon City, and then saw you and decided not to join up? She'd pound us both into the ground. This way, we know for sure if she's in," the spiky-haired brunette explained, idly pulling a piece of lint off his black dress shirt.

Ash just grumbled in the passenger seat. '_At least the rain had stopped,'_ he reflected as the pulled into the Garage parking lot. The two exited the car, heading for the front door.

Gary strode forward with purpose, black dress shirt, dark jeans, spotless shoes, and his purple, teardrop-shaped pendant around his neck. Ash, however, kept his head low and hood up on his leather jacket, simple black tee underneath, normal blue jeans, and a pair of sneakers.

Inside, the receptionist smiled at the pair. "Welcome to the Gyarados Garage," she greeted them.

Gary gave her his best, heart melting smile. "Afternoon beautiful. Is Misty in?" he asked, as smooth as molasses.

"She, uh, she's in the… the… the back!" the receptionist said, blushing like mad.

Gary smirked. "Thanks," he told her as he headed through the indicated door, Ash hot on his heels, leaving the poor receptionist to compose herself.

As the two walked across the noisy car shop, Ash spotted a pair of long, shapely legs in jeans sticking out from beneath one of the cars. Tapping Gary on the shoulder, he pointed it out, and Gary nodded, walking over and prodding her boot with his shoe.

"One sec," came the reply from beneath the hood. After a few seconds, the legs pulled themselves out on a crawler, revealing an athletic body wearing a heavy sleeved apron, a face marked with grease, and a gray bandana holding down a set of brilliant orange hair. She also had a look of disbelief on her face as she stood up.

"Afternoon Red," Gary greeted with the same smile he used on the receptionist. She promptly ignored him, looking directly at Ash.

"Hey Misty…" Ash started.

The resounding slap echoed through the large Garage.

* * *

><p>So, chapter one is up. I should note, that while there was PokéShipping in the past for this story, this will be an AdvanceShipping Story. Sorry any PokéShippers who read this. Maybe one day, I'll try my hand at a PokéShip, but for now, I've got enough on my plate. Anyways, I'd love to hear some feedback on this idea, anything people would like to point out, ideas, ect. Anyways, Guardians of Rota will hopefully have it's next update by tomorrow night. Hope you all enjoy The Celadon Job, and are looking forward to future chapters! God Bless.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Evening all. Next chapter is up, as you can likely see. In response to reviewer Farla, I can see where you're coming from. Hopefully this chapter will address your concerns and add more personality to the characters. As for the Pokémon universe, I've decided that it will be seen, but not focused on like other storylines. Anyways, with that said, I hope everyone enjoys the update! Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, ect, ect.

* * *

><p>Gyarados Garage, Cerulean City, Kanto<p>

Ash rubbed his stinging cheek. "Alright, I deserved that," he admitted as the furious redhead glared at him. His friend Gary simply looked amused, glancing between his oldest friend and the man's ex-flame.

"Ketchum, if the next words out of your mouth include 'Silver' or 'Investigation', so help me Arceus, I will hit you with my truck," the redhead warned dangerously.

Ash put his hands up to calm the girl.

Gary was enjoying the fact that Ash Ketchum, former Interpol agent was terrified of his ex. "Listen, Mist, you got someplace we can talk? I promise, if Ash says either word, I'll give you an alibi, alright?" Gary asked, with all the charm he could muster.

Misty glared between the two for a moment before nodding. She began walking towards the offices, indicating to follow her. The pair obeyed, following her into a small office littered with pictures of the girl's older sisters and cars, the occasional car part. A simple desk and a computer so old that it made Gary wince sat in the center of the room, and the seats consisted of seats ripped out of actual vehicles. Closing the door behind them and taking her spot behind the desk, she waved a hand to the two seats in front of her desk.

"So, what brings you two to Cerulean that it couldn't be said over the phone?" she asked defensively. Ash wasn't high on her list these days, and Gary had always been a shameless flirt, not even worth her time. Together…

"We'd like to offer you a job," Gary told her, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head and a smirk on his face.

Misty shook her head. "I _have_ a job, as you recall. I manage this garage," she stated, gauging them both. '_What are you two up to...'_ she thought to herself, eyes narrowing.

"No. Not a day job. Some custom work. Listen, you watch the news lately?" Gary asked.

MIsty nodded slowly. Silver had been on the news for the past few hours since his release. "So, Ash won't say Silver, but you will? Get out," she told them flatly.

"Misty, five minutes. That's all we ask," Ash told her.

Against her better judgement, she nodded. "Fine. You have five minutes. Speak," she told them.

Gary smirked. "As you've likely heard, there's a new Casino opening in Celadon City in three weeks. Giovanni Sakaki's place. We want to hit it," the brunette told her bluntly, running a hand through his brown, spiky hair.

Misty rolled her eyes and deadpanned. "This is my shocked face, can you tell?" she asked them sardonically. "Look, I don't want to hear about Silver, or Team Rocket, or Interpol Investigations, or the justice system," she told them, doing her best to control her temper.

That's when Gary's face broke into a grin. "Good. Because we've tried Interpol and the justice system. Didn't get far. So we're trying a different method," he explained.

Ash leaned forward, folding his hands and resting his elbows on his knees. "We're not going to arrest Giovanni. We're going to rob him."

Misty blinked. She stared at Ash like he had grown a second head. Turning back to Gary, she saw his grin threatened to crack his face, it had spread so wide. She shook her head and blinked a few times.

"Well, I think my hearing is going from all those car stereo systems I've installed," she rationalised. "Either that or I'm going insane, because I could swear that you, Ash Ketchum, former Boy Scout, former Police Officer, and former Interpol Agent just suggested _robbing_ a casino. Run by one of the most powerful men in Kanto," she explained, beginning to laugh lightly.

Gary's grin didn't waver. "Yup. You heard right, Red. So, you in?" he asked, as if asking something simple, like going out to lunch. Granted, Misty would have turned lunch down in a second, but this…

She shook her head in disbelief. "So, let me get this straight; You two want to knock over the Celadon Game Corner Casino. Run by one of the more powerful members of the Rocket family," she said slowly, before being interrupted by Ash.

He raised a finger. "On opening night," he clarified.

Misty blinked. "On opening night," she repeated, "And you want to hire me to _help_ you? Do you have _any_ idea how much trouble we could all get in for even _suggesting_ this?!" she asked, her voice gradually getting higher and higher. She glanced out her office windows conspiratorially. The last thing she needed was one of her people walking by and the wrong moment and thinking she was actually _considering_ this.

Ash began counting charges off on his fingers. "Conspiracy to commit grand larceny, conspiracy to commit grand theft, crossing one of the largest crime families in Kanto, conspiracy to hack a private server, conspiracy to run a confidence game, possibly jaywalking," he told her.

She growled. '_Of course Ash would take that literally,_' she thought to herself. "What makes you think, in your deranged little world, that I would honestly help you both with this?!" she asked is a hushed shout. "I lost almost a year of my life while you two played cowboy, hunting down that little red headed rat, and now, after all you put me through, Ash Ketchum, you walk into _my_ garage, and want me to help you rob a bloody _casino_?! Give me one good reason I shouldn't have my receptionist call the cops on you two right now?"

Ash sighed, his expression determined. "Misty, I'm sorry things didn't work out between us. I truly am. But I lost the last two years mourning my mom and Gary's grandfather. I did everything I could to get justice done and put it behind me. And the justice system said no. The past is still there. So I'm not asking you as your ex. I'm not asking you as an officer of the law. I'm asking you as a determined, angry man. Help me bring these idiots down. Help us take everything from them, like they did to us," he told her, a strange glint in his eye.

Misty picked up her phone, debating if she was going to call the police or not. That's when Gary spoke up again.

"Did I mention the job pays at least six figures, if everything goes according to plan, possibly more?" he asked with a smirk.

While her expression didn't change on the exterior, inside she was floored. '_That's more than I make in two _years_,'_ she realized. Still, she dialled her receptionist. "Hi, Lanette?" she asked, and the two men held their breath. "I need you… to call Rusty. Tell him I need to take a few weeks off. Yeah, starting tomorrow. I know it's short notice, but something came up. Alright. Yeah, I'll be here the rest of the day. Alright, bye," she stated, hanging up and putting her phone back onto her desk.

"Alright, you two," she told them. "I assume it's not just the three of us against the house?" she asked.

Gary nodded. "You'll meet the crew when Ash does. There are four others. We'll come by to pick you up tomorrow morning," he explained, and she nodded.

She glanced at Ash, whose expression was unreadable. She considered asking if he was alright, but pride demanded otherwise. She stood. "I'll see you both tomorrow, then. I'll be in the parking lot by six," she informed them, causing Gary to groan.

"Why do people think it's normal to get up so early?" he asked rhetorically, gaining a smirk from Misty and Ash.

Tomorrow would be a busy day.

* * *

><p>Cerulean City, Kanto<p>

Gary sat in the passenger seat of his blue sports car, snoring lightly, as Ash drove them towards the Gyarados Garage. The streets of Cerulean City were completely empty this early in the morning, making it a simple task to get to the garage. Under normal circumstances, Gary would have only gotten to sleep a couple of hours ago. Six AM was not a time he normally acknowledged unless he had already been up twelve hours prior. So, while Ash drove Gary's expensive car down the streets, Gary caught up on some much needed sleep, and would likely still be asleep when they pulled into Celadon City. Which left Ash apprehensive.

Misty and he had parted on bad terms. The simple fact that she had agreed was still shocking, and he half expected to pull into the garage parking lot only to see a group of police come out. To be fair, he didn't blame her at all for the break up. Things just… didn't work out. Still, he wasn't looking forward to having to speak with her without Gary awake.

As he turned onto the correct street and spotted the garage parking lot, he let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. In the parking lot, sitting in her blue pickup truck was Misty Waterflower. Pulling up, he stopped in front of the garage, waiting for her to fall in behind the car. When he was sure she was following him, he started making for the highway, heading south towards Saffron City and eventually Celadon City.

* * *

><p>Celadon City, Kanto<p>

"Gary, we're here," Ash told his friend as he pulled into the warehouse parking lot.

"Ugh… Five more minutes…" he replied groggily. Ash had the foresight to rent the warehouse before they left Pallet for the next month using what was left of his savings, to use as a base of operations.

Throwing the car into park, he got out, slamming the door to hopefully wake the lazy brunette millionaire up. He watched with a feeling of dread as the pickup parked next to Gary's sports car. Zipping up his brown leather jacket, he made his way towards the door of the warehouse, key in hand. He had on the same jacket he had yesterday, with a set of torn up jeans, running shoes, and a white dress shirt under his jacket. His unruly raven hair wasn't brushed, and he looked tired.

As he started unlocking the door, he turned back to the vehicles, where Gary was slowly waking up. His friend had on dress slacks, a clean white button up shirt, a black vest, and a pair of spotlessly clean shoes. Oak had a history of being a lady's man since his teens. Heir to the Oak fortune, he'd always dressed well when going out, and his job as a hacker paid very well. He had an expensive lifestyle, he even had a fanclub devoted to him. What he lacked, however, were challenges.

Misty, on the other hand, had grown up in a middle-class home with three older sisters. Hand-me-downs were normal for her. Her job as the garage manager paid decently, though, so she updated her wardrobe to shy away from her sister's fashion sense. Hopping out of her truck, she wore a pair of simple jeans, a sleeveless sea-green shirt, work boots, and a light gray bandana.

She made her way over to Gary's car and opened his door, grinning as she heard the startled yelp of the brunette nearly falling , his seatbelt was on, keeping him from falling onto the pavement below his car.

"Oi! Red, I'm up, I'm up!" Gary sputtered, flailing and getting tied up in his seatbelt. Misty chuckled as she walked away from the car and towards the warehouse door. Gary, now very much awake, managed to untangle himself and get out of the car, quickly jogging over to the pair. "You know for the record, I respond much better to coffee and pretty girls rather than life threatening head injuries and suddenly losing what I'm sleeping on. You know, just for future reference," he complained as he stretched.

Ash just shook his head, a smile on his face. '_Some things never change,'_ he thought to himself, unlocking the warehouse and opening the door. As he and his two companions walked in, lights began kicking on.

"Alright, so we're in Celadon City. Now we just need to get the place set up and wait for the others to get here," Gary told them as they walked into the abandoned facility.

Misty whistled. "This place is bigger than the garage," she realized. "How much did this set you back, Gary?" she asked.

"The warehouse? Nothing. From me, anyways," he replied. "Ash paid for the warehouse rental out of his own pocket. Part of the deal," the brunette explained with a grin.

"Deal?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ash replied. "I rent the base for the crew, and he covers their rates until the payout," he explained.

"Rates?" she asked again. Misty was still a bit in the dark on everything since their conversation yesterday, recruiting her.

"Yes, rates. Some of us prefer being paid."

Glancing among them, the three realized none of them had said a word. Looking around, they saw a figure walk out of the shadows of a stack of pallets. The three froze, each watching the stranger carefully. He was wearing black jeans, a gray turtleneck, black denim jacket, fingerless gloves and a dark purple knit cap. The trio thought they saw dark purple hair falling around his face from beneath his hat.

Ash was vaguely sure he'd seen him before, but couldn't place him. Misty, however, was settling into a combat stance.

Gary just smiled. "Should have figured you'd beat us here," he said, walking towards the dark clothed man and extending a hand. "Shinji," he greeted.

Taking the hand with a rough smile, the stranger shook it. "Oak. You should know by now I do my research before a job," he told them, his voice slightly scratchy. Turning to Gary's companions, he looked them both up and down. "Ketchum. Underworld wondered where you vanished to. Never thought you'd jump sides," he told the man gruffly.

Misty and Ash frowned. "Can't say we've met. You know me, I take it?" Ash asked curiously.

"Someone like you goes off the streets, people know," he replied, turning to Misty. "What's your story?"

She blinked. "I wasn't aware I needed one," she complained, shooting Gary a look.

He just smiled. "Guys, I'd like you to meet Paul Shinji. Our hitter," he introduced with a grin. "He'll handle security and retrieval for the team, along with some other things," Gary explained.

"Good to meet you. I'm Misty," she introduced herself.

Paul nodded. "How many more?" he asked, turning back to Gary.

"We've got three more coming, then we can get into the planning phase," Gary explained as he began walking over towards one of the loading doors. "Come on, give me a hand with the door and lets get the vehicles parked, then we can set up."

An hour later, and the crew had gotten all their vehicles inside the warehouse, Paul had done a sweep of the area, and Gary was setting up his computer systems. He'd taken over a second story room overlooking the warehouse as his base of operations, likely used as an overseers office back when the warehouse was built. Offices had been selected to act as bedrooms, and now all they needed was the rest of the crew.

* * *

><p>Private Warehouse, Celadon City, Kanto<p>

"Max, are you sure this is the place?" May asked.

"Yes, May, I'm sure. This is the place," Max told her as he pulled their red rental car into the parking lot. Even though he would argue it to the death, he was beginning to wonder if he had the right address himself. Would he admit that? No way.

As he found a spot and parked, he began wondering what sort of job Gary had for them. '_Gary's a hacker. What use would he have for a tech specialist _and _a thief? Just me, I could see, maybe upgrading some tech or security of one of his clients, but why bring May into this too?'_

May undid her seatbelt and got out of the car, enjoying the cool Kanto air, wearing a set of jeans, sandals, a red blouse, and her signature red bandana keeping her brown hair from her sapphire eyes.

Max exited the driver side, wearing a simple green t-shirt and khaki pants, sneakers, and his glasses. The two nodded to each other and headed towards the access door on the side of the warehouse. May was about to knock when he saw another car pull into the lot, this one white.

"Who's that?" he asked.

May could only shrug as she balled her fist and began pounding on the door. A minute later, the door was opened by a brunette man with spiky brown hair and a grin.

"Max!" he greeted. "It's been, what, a year since that tech job in Johto? Good to see ya," he told him, holding his hand out to Max, who shook it with a smile.

"It's been too long, Gary. This is my sister, May," he introduced, indicating the brunette girl beside him who offered Gary her hand.

Gary nodded and took the hand, kissing the back. "The pleasure is mine," he stated.

May simply smirked. "You're trouble, aren't you?" she asked sarcastically. "Flattery will get you nowheres, you know," she told him as she went back towards the car to get her things.

Gary looked around and finally saw the second car. "You guys take two vehicles?" he asked. Before Max could answer, the door of the white car opened, revealing a beautiful woman with midnight blue hair, a white trenchcoat, high heeled shoes, and a confident smile.

Max's jaw dropped. "Is… Is that Dawn Berlitz, the Sinnoh actress?" he asked.

Gary's grin only widened. "You would be correct, my young Hoenn friend," he replied, poking fun at the fact that Max was the youngest person on his crew. "As much as I'd like to tell you she's here for me, though, she's part of the crew. I'll go open the loading bay doors, grab your car and let's get you, May, and Miss Berlitz offloaded."

It was a few hours after noon when the crew were all finally settled into the operations room. Gary had set up several of his monitors in addition to a projector screen system. Max had commandeered a table for his own laptop and variety of technical gadgets and equipment. The rest had all settled into chairs around the room, each waiting for full introductions and the plan.

Gary stood up in the front, his back to the window overlooking the warehouse floor. "Welcome all, and thanks for coming. I hope you all had a good trip," he began. "I am, as you all know, Gary Oak. The greatest hacker in Kanto, and possibly the world," he said with a bow.

"And he's just _so_ humble…" Misty remarked sarcastically. May and Dawn giggled, and Ash nodded in agreement, a smile on his face.

Smirking, Gary continued. "Many of you probably know former Interpol officer Ketchum, AKA our mastermind for this job. Ash is in charge. If any of you have a problem working for a former cop, you're free to leave. No hard feelings, and thanks for coming."

The brunette glanced around. No one got up. "Alright then, welcome to Operation 'Break the House'. First up, we've got Misty Waterflower," he told them, pointing out the redhead sitting with her legs up on one of the tables. "Misty's our mechanic and driver. She's one of the best racers on the Kanto circuits."

She nodded, getting a few raised eyebrows, even from Ash.

"Next up, Paul Shinji," Gary continued, indicating the quiet purple-haired man. "Paul's our hitter, and will be one of our insiders. He's capable of killing you with his bare hands, and is fully versed in knives, firearms, martial arts, retrieval, and generally hitting people."

"Hn," Paul responded, ignoring the looks the others gave him.

"The one person here everyone probably knows, besides me and my handsome face of course, is Dawn Berlitz. She a famous actress from Sinnoh. What you didn't know is that Dawn here is one of the best grifters in Sinnoh. She's run confidence games all over the region and she's going to be our other insider."

Dawn stood up and gave them a polite bow. "A pleasure. I can't wait to get this show started," she told the others.

"Finally, you have the Maple Siblings, May and Max. Max's one of the best technicians and equipment specialists I know. He can play backup hacker, if I'm otherwise occupied. He can also program a VCR, should we need it," Gary joked, gaining some light chuckles.

"May, on the other hand, is one of the best thieves you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting. She can lift everything out of your pockets just by smiling at you and pick a lock in seconds. She also has a major sweet tooth. Every major jewel heist in Hoenn in the past four years were pulled by one of two crews. The Maples were the more successful crew."

The pair smiled, nodding their heads to their compatriots.

Gary took a seat in front of his computer and waved for Ash to continue. Nodding, the raven-haired ex-cop stood up and headed to the front of the room.

"Alright Gary, run it," he told the brunette. A picture of a large building appeared on one of the monitors.

"Three weeks from now, Giovanni Sakaki opens the Celadon Game Corner Casino. Team Rocket's latest front. For those of you who don't live here in Kanto, Team Rocket are the major crime family here. Pokémon poaching and smuggling, stolen cars, money laundering, gun running, you name it, they control it here. We've got one shot to get this right, because if we screw this up, Team Rocket will destroy us. The good news is that when we hit them, we won't have to worry about any law enforcement. Giovanni won't call the Houndoom down on his own property, which gives us some room to work."

Gary moved to the next series of pictures, blueprints to a pair of buildings.

"So, for the next few weeks, recon and preparations begin," he explained. "We've managed to get the basic blueprints for the Game Corner and the Rocket's main base of operations in Celadon. Since Gary and I are fairly notorious in the Rocket ranks, several of you will be running recon jobs. Dawn, Gary's going to set you up with a fake ID and credentials to get you inside. You're going to infiltrate Giovanni's casino and get us whatever you can in the next three weeks."

The blunette nodded. "Do you have a way in for me, yet, or shall I get creative?" she asked, studying the blueprints intently.

"We were thinking movie executive from Sinnoh, wanting to use the spot for a movie shoot, but if you've got ideas, let's have em," Gary replied.

Dawn got up and slowly walked up to the screen. "What do you have on him?" she asked. A second later, the monitors changed to show a well dressed man with close-cut black hair.

Gary began going over his background. "Giovanni Sakaki, born August first, age forty-three, grew up in Alto Mare in Johto before he moved to Kanto. Took over the Sakaki branch of Team Rocket when he was twenty-three, killing his own father to do so. Wife, deceased, and a son, Silver Sakaki. A year ago, Silver did time in a Kanto correctional facility for a drive by shooting. Got a plea bargain and got his sentence reduced. His testimony put Archer Apollo, another Rocket boss, behind bars, which let Giovanni take over the Apollo's business in Celadon City."

All the while, Dawn tapped her chin in thought, a smile slowly growing on her face. "Alto Mare, huh? I'll have an identity for you to build tomorrow at the latest," she told him, returning to her seat. She folded her hands and continued listening.

Ash returned to his spot. "Shinji, you're our other insider. We want you to join Team Rocket as a grunt, so we can learn about their personal security here in Celadon. There's no way they'll leave it to the local PD, and on opening night, they'll need all hands on deck. Get in, learn what you can about the building and operating procedures," he told him. Almost as an afterthought, he added "And the vehicles. I want everything you can get on their vehicles."

The man looked sceptical, rubbing his stubble-covered chin. "Alright. Haven't done much grifting work, but I can give it a shot. I'll give Oak one of my old IDs. Get me in, and I'll get you your intel."

Ash nodded. "While Gary sorts that, you and Max are in charge of setting up a security system for the warehouse. We don't want any uninvited guests. Max, I'll also need some sort of communications other than phone. Got anything?"

The boy genius smiled. "Yeah I've got some bluetooth headset systems that I've been meaning to try. Hidden mics, real time transmission, tracking. Just get me a list and a few hours," he replied.

"Alright, good. May, you're on exterior surveillance and infiltration," Ash continued, nodding to the brunette woman. "You worked almost exclusively in Hoenn, so I doubt anyone will recognize you over here. I'll need whatever you can get on this place, blueprints, security specs, the people…"

The brunette raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Ketchum, you know this isn't my first job, right? You chased me enough to know that much. I'll have a complete dossier of the place, the entry points, security weaknesses, you name it," she said, leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms with a smug smile.

Ash bowed his head. "Alright, fair enough. I recall how your jobs go. Do your thing and keep me posted," he replied.

Misty blinked. '_I wonder how those two know each other. He never mentioned her before,' _she thought to herself.

"Misty."

Shaking her head, she looked back at Ash, realizing he was now onto her part. Straightening up, she nodded.

"You're going to be on recon. Later, once Shinji gets the intel on their vehicles, I'll need you to make a perfect replica of one of theirs. Think you can do it?" he asked.

Misty nodded. "I can do it. If Paul gets me what I need, I can clone you a vehicle," she replied.

He nodded. "Alright then, you all have your jobs. We've got three weeks of prep, and only one night to get it all right. Everyone clear on what we need to do?" Ash asked, glancing around. Six nods greet him. "Good. Let's get to work."

* * *

><p>Celadon City, Kanto<p>

Dinner time had rolled around, and the team had all found their own machinations to keep them occupied. The team spent the last few hours unpacking their gear, with Max and Gary turning the overseer's office into a command and control center.

Paul had moved into a room next to their command center, traveling extremely light, only clothes and an assortment of exotic knives. He also helped Max and Gary set up a full security suite for the warehouse. Cameras, door sensors, the works.

Dawn had moved in a large amount of clothing, wigs, and makeup to one of the offices, turning the place into her own personal dressing room. It reminded Misty of living with her sisters. Thankfully, Dawn was far less overbearing than Lily, Daisy, and Violet.

May had a variety of tools and gadgets brought in, most of which were custom built by either her or her brother. How she had everything smuggled into Kanto was another story. She also had a staggering amount of snacks, from chips to cookies, popcorn to sodas. She had caught a few looks, but no one had questioned it.

Ash traveled light, only a simple duffle of clothing. He had gotten used to traveling as such from his days in Interpol. Chasing thieves and mobsters was normal for him. _Being_ the thief, that was taking some getting used to, but he could manage.

Misty traveled similarly, just a duffle of clothing and mechanic tools. While her sisters traveled with enough clothes to wear something different every day of a month, she was much more pragmatic.

When the crew had finally settled in, it was decided that Gary and Max would finish setting up their network. Seeing as Gary and Ash were fairly well known in Kanto, and especially to Team Rocket, Misty was sent out to get food, the crew settling on pizza. May decided to tag along to recon the local restaurants.

The pair were on their way back in Misty's truck just as the sun began to set.

"So, what do you do, anyways?" May asked, stack of pizzas on her lap, two boxes of which were reserved for the brunette and her appetite.

Misty shot an odd glance at the brunette as she drove towards the warehouse. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, all I know is you're a mechanic. And you have some talent in racing? Are you an underground street racer or something?" May asked brightly, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she was asking Misty if she was a criminal.

'_Well, I am sort of the odd one out. I am working with a bunch of criminals to rob a casino, after all.'_ Misty sighed, thinking how to placate the woman. "I used to street race with some guys back in the day. My sisters all dated car guys, idiots who had more money than brains, but I was more interested in how the cars worked," she replied, curious on why she was talking about her life to a jewel thief. "I wasn't the type to wait on a boy like my sisters. Rather just go out and do it myself."

May smiled. "So, you beat on the boys growing up?" she asked, amused at the thought.

"Yeah. The look on their faces when they realized their best time was just beaten by their girlfriend's little sister was priceless," she continued, a small smile on her face. "How about you? You're not quite what I expected."

May gave the redhead a lopsided grin. "How's that?" she asked good naturedly.

Misty shrugged. "I guess I just figured a jewel thief to be… different, that's all," she confessed. She felt slightly embarrassed, having this conversation about assumptions with a known jewel thief.

"What, you were expecting an old guy with a mustache and a cane? Old car chases and black and white movies? Bow ties and tuxedos?" she asked, her grin still in place. "Nah. Max and I have been scheming together since we realized we could work together to raid the cookie jar. He skins his knee, I swipe a few cookies, when mom and dad are done kissing the boo boo and making it all better, he and I meet outside and settled up," she explained. "Granted, before that, we fought like Skitty and Poochyena," she added.

"You still do, from what I heard. Gary said you were two arguing where to park earlier," Misty noted as they pulled up to a traffic light, waiting for a green.

May rubbed her head sheepishly. "I… can't really argue that."

The light changed and Misty pushed the truck through the intersection, heading towards the outskirts of town where the warehouse was. Her new home for the next few weeks. "Hey May, can I ask you something?"

May grinned. "You just did," she joked.

Misty rolled her eyes. "How do you and Ash know each other?"

May shrugged as she adjusted her grip on the pizzas in her lap. "Ash chased me in Hoenn once or twice about three years ago. Think he had just joined Interpol, ended up as added security in Ever Grande for a big jewelry exhibit. One that Max and I happen to… 'visit'. Amazing ramen there, by the way," she added. "Anyways, he was on my trail for a few months. Skitty and Rattata for a while, there. He vanished about a year after that. Heard he went back to Kanto. Haven't seen him since. Before today, anyways."

'_Two years ago would have been just about the time of his mother's death,'_ Misty realized.

"How about you? How do you know him?"

Misty blinked as she realized May was talking to her again.

"Uh… He kinda pulled me over for speeding one day back when he was with the Kanto PD. Let me off with a warning. Couple days later, his car pulls into my garage for repairs. We tried dinner. About a year ago, things kinda started getting… tense. We, uh… we parted on bad terms. I certainly wasn't expecting him to walk into my garage and bring me on board for this," she explained as the pair pulled into the warehouse parking lot. Her expression didn't change.

May was silent for a few moments, as if debating if she wanted to really open this particular can of Dunsparce. She decided against it, opening the door and heading towards the warehouse entrance.

Misty was thankful. And aware that May, and likely the rest of the criminals were nothing like she expected.

* * *

><p>Private Warehouse, Celadon City, Kanto<p>

"Ahem."

Paul looked up from the blueprints he was studying and saw a certain blunette poking her head into his room. "You need something?" he asked.

"Just wanted to make sure you're going to be alright. I understand you haven't done much grifting work? Want a few tips?" she asked with a smile.

He rolled his eyes, returning his attention to the blueprints. "I'll be fine," he replied gruffly.

Dawn didn't take the hint. "You sure I can't help you? I can probably assist in a cover story, at least," she prodded.

Paul glared at her. "Look, I don't tell you how to act, little miss dress up. I can handle myself," he told her.

Dawn frowned. "Well, there's no need to be rude about it," she replied crossly.

"There's also no need for you to be here pestering me, you troublesome woman," he shot back. '_Note to self; tell Gary I'm doubling my rates if I have to work with her,'_ he thought to himself with annoyance.

Dawn put her hands on her hips, angry. "Troublesome? _I'm _the troublesome one?" she asked in disbelief.

Paul smirked. "Exactly, Troublesome. Now, are you done yet, or are you going to continue to pester me?" he asked, looking up from the blueprints he was studying.

She narrowed her eyes, glaring at the man. "Sorry for trying to be nice and help out! I mean, Arceus forbid you accept some outside help. And this _does_ happen to be my area of expertise," she argued.

"Troublesome, look, I know you're probably really used to pathetic sycophants bowing to your every whim, but I just don't care. Now, be useful or get out," Paul told her firmly.

Dawn glared at the purple-haired man before stomping off. Just as Paul let out a sigh of relief, her blue-haired head popped back into the doorway.

"And my name is Dawn! D-A-W-N!" she shouted, leaving the room again.

Paul smirked and shook his head. '_She's going to be a headache.'_

Dawn marched back into the main office, arms crossed and sat down in one of the chairs.

Gary shot her a grin. "Having fun with our hitter?" he asked playfully.

"He is infuriating!" she replied, glaring at the Kanto hacker. "Where did you _find_ him?"

Gary rolled his eyes. "He's the best. He's a loner, and has a reputation for a bad attitude, but he's exactly what we need for this job. He has his part to play, you have yours," he explained.

She was about to argue when she heard the loading doors open. Ash popped his head into the room shortly after that. "Food's here. Who wanted the pineapple and ham?" he asked with a look of distaste. Max raised his hand.

As Dawn got up to get food with the rest of the crew, her thoughts turned to a certain purple-haired annoyance. And she couldn't help but think of the differences between him and her auburn-haired admirer Kenny back in Sinnoh.

* * *

><p>And there you have it. Thoughts? Ideas? Questions? Feel free to ask, either through review or PM. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, I thank you for reading, and hope you have a great night. God Bless.<p> 


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